Cellular phones, smart phones, laptops, and other cellular devices are ubiquitous. Users may access cellular voice and data networks using a smart phone, for example, to make calls, browse the internet, text message, and use other services. Indeed, one merely has to sit in a public place to observe a high percentage of people engaged in using one or more cellular devices. Indeed, at any given time, many users may be using a laptop computer—connected to a wireless or cellular network—and a smart phone at the same time.
Improving the performance of cellular devices is a constant goal of manufacturers and developers. As the speed and power of mobile processors, the sizes of screens, and other features evolve, however, there is often a need for increased battery capacity. To some extent, though, battery technology has lagged behind, for example, processor and memory technology. As a result, battery life in devices used by heavy internet users, for example, may be less than a day. This generally requires the user to plug the device into a wall socket or universal serial bus (USB) port to recharge for a significant length of time, which can be inconvenient and in some cases, is simply not available.